Philippians 1:1-11
OUR SHARED EXPERIENCE
Intro: Paul wrote many letter to churches in the first
century church. Many of his letter, like the ones to the
church in Corinth and in Galatia, were written to combat
sins within the church. While they all contain blessings
ans help for the church, they are, in fact, letters of
rebuke and correction. The letter to the church in
Philippi was different.
In its pages, we find no words of rebuke and no
words of correction. All that we find here are words of
praise and affection. This church, it would seem, stood
with Paul in prayer, fellowship and in financial support
when other churches failed to come to his aid. Paul
never forgot their ministry of love.
As Paul begins this letter, he uses a word in verse 5
that I would like to call to your attention. It is the word
"fellowship". This is a word and a concept that is much
misunderstood by the modern church. We will have a
dinner and call it a "fellowship." Or, we will meet at
Shoney's for coffee and dessert and refer to that as a
time of "fellowship." Some of you enjoy the good
fellowship of a golf game, or whatever event might bring
several believers together. Yet, what we often refer to
as "fellowship" is really "acquaintanceship" or
"friendship."
Genuine fellowship runs far deeper than meal or a
good time together. The English word "fellowship" is
the translation of the Greek word "koinwnia". This word
refers to "things held in common, or things shared."
It means to be so closely bound together that there is
open and mutual sharing. The opposite of that is seen
in Paul's usage of this word in 2 Cor. 6:14, "Be ye not
unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what
fellowship hath righteousness with
unrighteousness? and what communion hath light
with darkness?" The whole idea in this verse is that
light and darkness are so mutually exclusive that they
cannot dwell together. They are so different that they
share nothing in common. Paul takes that picture and
projects it into the life of the believer. Believers and
non-believers are so different that they are never to
yoke up.
Now, if we can bring this into the Christian realm, we
can see that true, biblical fellowship refers to those
things that we are all involved in and share in together.
It is those things that we hold in common as believers
that I would like to focus in on for a while.
It seems that the church in Philippa was a great
church. The reason they were a great church is that
they enjoyed and promoted genuine fellowship. It was
their realization of what they held in common that made
them great.
Now, I think we have a great church! Is there room
for improvement? Yes! But, while that may be true,
this church possesses certain elements that make us
great. This morning, I would like to take a few minutes
and look into these verses. I want to show you that
even though we come from different backgrounds, we
still have a lot in common this morning. There are
some basic truths that all the redeemed in this building
hold in common. These truths form the basis of our
fellowship together. These truths are what make us
stand out as a great church. Let me share them with
you this morning as we look together at Our Shared
Experience.
I. V. 1 WE SHARE A COMMON BIRTH
(Ill. Let me clear this up right now. When I speak of
a "common birth" I am not referring to a second-rate
birth! There is nothing ordinary about what Jesus
did for and in us when He saved us by His grace!
What I am referring to is the fact that all believers
share the same kind of birth experience. If you are
really saved this morning, you all got in the same
way!)
A. Notice how Paul addresses his letter to the
Philippians. He was writing to "all the saints in
Christ Jesus." That designation set these
people apart! You see, not everyone in Philippi
was in Christ Jesus! Just like not everyone at
Gilead Baptist or not everyone who lives in this
community is in Christ Jesus. It is this state of
being in Christ Jesus that makes one a Christian,
1 John 5:12.
B. Now, that begs the question: "How does a
person get 'in' Christ Jesus?" Depending
upon who you asked, the answer to that question
might range from being baptized to living a good
life. However, if we really want to know the truth
about how to get in Christ Jesus, I think we need
to seek our answers from the Bible itself.
C. What does the Word of God say about this
matter?
1. First, the Bible makes it clear that you cannot
be saved by your own strength, or by
anything that you can do, like works, or good
deeds, etc. (Eph. 2:1; Eph. 2:8-9; Rom.
8:8).
2. Second, the Bible is also clear when it states
the true path to salvation. (Rom. 10:9-10;
Acts 16:31; John 3:16)
3. Third, the Bible is again clear when it tells us
that this salvation is available to all men,
(Rom. 10:13; Rev. 22:17; Isa. 55:1).
4. Fourth, the Bible is clear when it teaches us
that anyone who does not come to Jesus the
Bible way will not be saved and will not go to
Heaven, (John 3:3, 7; Luke 13:3; Heb. 2:3;
Heb. 9:22).
5. The answer to our question is simple.
Respond to the call of God, repent of your
sins and receive Jesus into your life. Then
you will be in Him and He will be in you and
you will be saved! That is how it works!
D. Now, having said all that, let me say that when a
person trusts Jesus as Savior, that person
becomes part of the family of God. Regardless
of his or her background they become one with
all other believers. We all share a common birth
that places us in the same family.
E. The question that remains to be answered today
is: "Have you experienced that new birth? Are
you genuinely saved this morning?" If you are,
praise God! If not, you can be by trusting Jesus
and His shed blood.
I. We Share A Common Birth
II. V. 2-8 WE SHARE A COMMON BURDEN
(Ill. This section of the passage is summed up well
by Paul's statement in verse 7. He says, "I have
you in my heart." Paul is reminding these
believers that they hold a special place in his life.
They are in his heart! Think about what this
statement says. Paul is in a Roman prison awaiting
trial before Caesar. Yet, his thoughts are filled with
praise for these special brothers and sisters in
Christ. Even as he can see his own impending
death, he still expresses his love for the brethren.
My friends, this is a challenge to every child of
God this morning! You see, the place our fellow
believers hold in our own hearts reveals a great deal
about where we stand with the Lord! Because, just
as surely as we all share a common birth
experience, we should also all share a common
burden experience. Paul shares the four-fold
burden of his heart for the Philippian church and in
doing so teaches us how we should feel about our
brothers and sisters in Christ. By the way, a burden
is not always a negative experience!)
A. V. 3 There Is The Burden Of Praise - Paul tells
us that his heart is filled with joy every time he
remembers his fellow believers there in Philippi.
He praises the Lord that they are in the family
together. This was his attitude toward all
believers, Rom. 1:8-9; Rom. 6:17; 1 Cor. 1:4.
(Ill. Such should be the attitude of our hearts this
morning. When we think of our fellow church
members here at Gilead, how do we remember
them? Do we think of the times they did
something we didn't like? Do we remember the
time when they said something hurtful? Or, do
we rejoice that we are saved and they are saved
and that we have the privilege of serving God
together? Certainly, one of the great marks of a
healthy church is a deeply felt joy among the
members of that church.)
B. V. 4 There Is The Burden Of Prayer - Not only
does Paul praise God for them, he also prays for
them. He carries their name to the throne of
grace and makes intercession for their needs
and burdens. He cares enough to pray!
(Ill. Again, this ought to be the attitude of our
hearts today. Do we love one another enough to
pray for each other? Do we run to the Father
when those in our fellowship are hurting? Oh,
our hearts should be filled with love for those in
our Father's family and that love should motivate
us to pray for them in a consistent manner as we
go through life together, 1 Tim. 2:1.)
C. V. 5 There Is The Burden Of Partnership -
Paul is thankful that these people have joined
with him in carrying out the Gospel ministry the
Lord called him to. This church was faithful to
stand with Paul in the times of his need, Phil.
4:15-19. He partnered with them in carrying out
the ministry of the Lord.
(Ill. Folks, we are in this thing together! Think of
it, the Lord founded this church to reach people
for Jesus. And, each of us is essential to getting
that job done. For instance, I cannot devote
myself to prayer and study of the Word of God
unless you partner with me to meet the needs of
my family, which you do, and abundantly so! By
the same token, I am able to bring the fruits of
my study to this place and share them with you,
thus, I hope, meeting the spiritual needs you
have. Friends, we need one another more than
we will ever know! May we learn to appreciate
the fact that we are partners in the work of God!
As I heard a wise man say yesterday, "There is
no I in team." We are partners in the ministry.
That realization makes a great church!)
D. V. 8 There Is The Burden Of A Pull - Paul now
tells them that he has an overwhelming desire to
be with them. He wants to be in their presence
when they go to worship. He longs to be near
them as they serve the Lord together.
(Ill. I just want to say this morning that there is
something wrong with someone who claims to
be saved, but who never wants to go to church.
There is something missing in their experience in
the Lord. After all, the Bible commands
believers to assemble themselves together, Heb.
10:25. Beyond that, I get help from the church!
I am blessed by near those who are like-minded.
I receive strength from your faith and your
worship.
Of course, there are those who say, "Well, I
just don't get anything out of it." Others says, "I
just don't feel like I fit in up there." My advice to
you is first, search your heart and see if you are
really right with the Lord. Then, if your spiritual
condition checks out, find you a church where
you do get something. Find you a church where
you do fit in. Honey, this ain't the only boat
afloat! If you want to serve the Lord in His
church there is a place for you to worship!
By the same token, when you won't go to
church and serve the Lord in humble obedience,
there is something wrong in your heart and you
just need to get that thing settled. By the way, I
thank the lord for the desire He placed in my
heart to be in His house, every time the doors
swing open!)
I. We Share a Common Birth
II. We Share A Common Burden
III. V. 6 WE SHARE A COMMON BLESSING
A. In this verse, Paul takes a moment to reassure
these believers concerning their future with the
Lord. He reminds them that the God Who saved
them from their sins and Who has worked in
them up to that day, would continue His ministry
in their lives until they arrived home in Heaven.
In other words, God wasn't going to leave
them behind. He wasn't going to take His hand
off their lives. He was going to work in them and
ultimately take them home to be with Him.
B. Friends, we still share that common hope this
morning! Just as surely as we were saved by
the save blood, we are kept saved by the same
God, 1 Pet. 1:5. Just as surely as we can
fellowship here on this earth. We will spend all
eternity together in the presence of the Heavenly
Father!
(Ill. With that in mind, let me just encourage you
to learn to love the brethren and to enjoy being
with the redeemed! We are going to be together
forever in Heaven! Heaven, the home of the
blessed will be a place that we will share
together forever! I look forward to that day when
we are perfected and we stand together in His
image, in His presence, in His home, forever,
Rev. 21:4; Rev. 22:3. What a day that will be!)
I. We Share a Common Birth
II. We Share A Common Burden
III. We Share A Common Blessing
IV. V. 9-11 WE SHARE A COMMON BUSINESS
(Ill. Paul let's these believers know that along with all
the many things they shared in common, they were
also involved in a common ministry. They were
laborers together for the Gospel of Jesus. To that
end, Paul shared with them his prayer for their
success. Notice what Paul prayer for concerning
them. What he prayed for are traits that we need as
a church as well.)
A. V. 9 Their Compassion - Paul's prayer is that
their love one for another might continue to grow
as the days went by. This was a church marked
by love, and as such it is an example to our
church this morning! If we are to be
characterized as anything, let it be as a loving
church. May we ever strive to carry out the
command of our Lord, Matt. 22:39. May 1 Cor.
13:4-8 be fulfilled in the life of this local body of
believers.
That having been said, let me also say that
this love was to be exercised in "knowledge
and judgment." That is, they were to love
people, but they were to love truth more! There
are times when not everyone will feel loved by
the church. However, when that happens, the
church should consider her actions toward those
people. If they have indeed been wronged, let
us make it right with them and seek to restore
them to fellowship. However, God never called
us to hand out sugar tits! He never called us to
placate a bunch of babies who wouldn't be
happy anywhere at any price. We must learn
the valuable lesson that sometimes, love must
be tough! If you have to choose between being
the people God has called you to be and
smoothing over someone's hurt feelings, I will
choose following the Lord! That is why we are
called to "speak the truth in love." Sometimes,
the truth hurts, but truth will stand while the world
is on fire! Be that as it may, let us love another.
Remember, we are never more like Jesus and
God the Father than when we love others, 1
John 4:7-8.
B. V. 10 Their Convictions - Paul also prays that
they will "approve", or put things to the test. His
desire is that they will determine what is of God
and what is of the flesh and that they will go
God's way. Friends, not everything that comes
down the road wearing the name of Jesus is
really of God! We need to check things out by
the Word of God and take our stand on the truth!
Then, when we have discerned the mind of God
for our situation, let us stand on it and not be
ashamed that we are the way we are! God's
people need some convictions in our day! Far
too many are throwing wide the doors and
allowing everything under the sun to come into
the church. Let us determine that we will stand
for the right way, the old-fashioned way. The
Bible way until Jesus comes, 1 Cor. 15:58!
C. V. 11 Their Completion - Paul final prayer is
that they will be fruitful in their walk with the Lord.
He desires that they bring forth fruit that will
glorify God through their ministry. Friends, that
ought to be the goal of every saved heart this
morning! We ought to want to bring forth fruit to
the glory of God! If we will do the things we have
already mentioned, the Lord will produce His
fruit. When He does, He will be glorified and we
will have been successful as a congregation.
(Ill. Remember that when it comes to bearing
fruit, some things are necessary and other things
are true.
1. If we will produce fruit, we must abide in the Vine
- John 15:5.
2. If we will abide in the Vine, we will not have to
struggle to bring forth our fruit, it will happen
naturally - John 15:5.
3. As we abide in Him and bring forth fruit, we will
not draw attention to ourselves. After all,
whoever heard a branch on an apple tree make
a lot of noise about the fruit it was producing?
All the glory in the orchard is enjoyed by the tree
and the farmer. So it will be for us. When we
are bringing forth fruit for Him, He will get all the
glory - 1 Cor. 10:31.
Conc: The church in Philippi was a great church. Do
you know why? It was because they shared these four
things and they made them the basis of their fellowship.
As a result, they grew stronger in the Lord and honored
Him. They were great because they stuck to the basics
and worked hand in hand with Jesus to carry out His will
in the world.
This morning, I want to say that Gilead Baptist
Church is a great church! If you think otherwise, then
why don't you find you one you can consider great. If I
didn't, I wouldn't stay here another minute. However,
as I look at us today, I see where we can benefit from
the lessons demonstrated in these verses. I wonder if
you, the church of God at Gilead will join me in the altar
as I deal with those areas in my life that aren't exactly
where they ought to be. Will you join me as I go back
to the Father to confirm my marching orders? Will you
join me as I lay this church on the altar before the Lord
and thank Him for what He has given us and for what
He is about to do with it. Will you come and pray for
your church?
Lost friends, this altar is here for you as well. If you
have never trusted Jesus as your Savior, but feel that
you need to do that today, you can come right now and
call on the Lord Jesus. He will save your soul. Will you
come?
